Pretty Face

by Hunter, Sable

  “That’s six dollars and fifteen cents.” The clerk told him and he exchanged the money for a burger, fries, and a large coke. When he went to set down his food, he saw a slip of paper that had fallen out of his wallet. Hunter picked it up. It was his baggage claim ticket. He stared at it, remembering the panic when Sage didn’t meet him. For some odd reason, the number 782 popped out at him. Where had he seen it before?

  Damn, he must be going nuts.

  Then, he remembered. He’d seen that number written on a piece of paper at Cody’s house.

  Odd. Weird coincidence.

  Stuffing the paper in his glove department, he ate his burger and listened to a ball game on the radio.

  * * *

  A few hours later, Cody was a nervous wreck. She’d seen Hunter off. The job was coming to an end. He probably only had two days of work left on her kitchen. She hated to think what those two days would be like if tonight went badly. Heck, he might walk away from both her and the job. She might have to find someone else to complete it all. Who was she kidding? Finishing the kitchen was the least of her worries.

  Now, she was all dressed up and ready to go. This was it. She was about to attend the third ball, have one more chance to be with him, then pull off the mask. Could she do it? As much as she’d like to run away and hide, Cody really had no choice. Telling Hunter the truth was her only option. It was the right thing to do.

  Before she left, she looked at herself in the mirror. This purple dress was the most beautiful of all. It was an off the shoulder design with an empire waist, made of pure silk. The material reminded Cody of a butterfly’s wing. Her hair was okay, the mask was in place and the slippers were still unscuffed and perfect. The makeup she’d applied was nice, even her eyes through the mask looked good. Last, she’d put on the bracelet Hunter had given her. She picked up the heart and rubbed it between her fingers. “Please let this go well. Even if he can’t love me, please don’t let him hate me.”

  At the dock…Hunter waited. Darkness had fallen and the river boat looked like it had floated right down the river from a time long forgotten. A trumpet wailed a blues number as the boat’s horn sounded and Hunter expected to see Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn come strolling up to board right along with him.

  “Hey, Hunter.”

  He smiled. Her voice was what he’d been waiting to hear all day. That sexy little accent of hers made his blood burn every time.

  Hunter turned, a smile coming to his lips as he saw how beautiful she was. “Hey, baby. Ready to board?” He kissed her on the lips, a sweet lingering kiss and held out his arm. “You look beautiful, that dress is almost as pretty as you are.”

  “Thank you.” She squeezed his hand. “Yes, I’m ready.” Cody just hoped he couldn’t tell she was trembling.

  Hunter steadied her as they walked across the gangplank. Dozens of people stood on the bottom deck where the band was playing. The whole boat was decorated with lights, purple seemed to take preference. “Thank you for the keychain and the keys,” Hunter whispered in her ear.

  “You’re welcome. Look, I’m wearing my bracelet.” She showed him her wrist. Anything to put off what was to come.

  “I’ve never been on a riverboat before,” Hunter muttered close to her ear as they were passing the band.

  “Well, you’re in for a good time.” Cody intended for them to enjoy their last few hours together as much as possible. Holding hands, they worked their way to the lido deck and found a table next to the railing. Hunter went to the bar and brought them back a glass of wine. “Bacchus is one of the superkrewes for Mardi Gras. They’re the ones who opened up the celebration to tourists. Their parade is very popular.”

  Hunter looked around as Cody pointed different things out to him. Everything was decorated in a Greek theme with grapes, ivy, statues, and fountains. “Following river boat tradition, there is gambling on board. I also read there’s a palm reader somewhere.”

  “Would you like to have your fortune told?” he asked, tracing a finger from her elbow to her wrist. He couldn’t seem to stand not touching her. “I can tell it for you if you’d like.”

  Cody felt uneasy. He was being so romantic and she knew everything would fall apart before the night was over. Still, she couldn’t resist. Holding out her palm, she asked, “What do you see?”

  Hunter cradled her hand in his, palm upward. Cody shivered as he looked at her face, smiled, then traced a finger down her lifeline. “I see happiness in your future and much love.” Spreading her hand out, he caressed another line across her palm. “Your love line is especially distinct. I see many orgasms in your future.”

  “I like your vision.” She smiled, but her heart was sad.

  Once they finished their wine, Hunter led Cody out on the dance floor. Part of it was in an open air area underneath the stars. He hugged her close to keep her warm. Even though temperatures were reaching into the seventies during the day, the nights were chilly. “I’ve danced more with you in these past three days than I have during the rest of my life put together, I think.”

  “Me too,” she murmured, her head on his shoulder. “I’ve enjoyed this so much.”

  Hunter stroked her hair. “We’ve only just begun, Sage. After tonight, I want to make plans. I want to fly to Colorado, pack everything I own and make a life here with you.”

  Cody tightened her fingers on his arm. She didn’t know if she was urging him to be quiet or trying to hold on to him. “I need to talk to you too.”

  “Excellent.” After they’d held one another close and danced to several numbers, Hunter kissed her cheek. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” She smiled, not meaning a word of it, her stomach was in knots. Nevertheless, she accompanied him to the food tables and nibbled at some shrimp and asparagus while he ate his fill.

  “Hello.”

  Cody looked up and almost bit her tongue off. Dr. Rowan stood beside their table. “Hello, Dr. Rowan. How are you?” She stared into her therapist’s eyes, begging her not to give her away.

  “I am well. It’s good to see you. Are you two having a good time?”

  “Yes, we are,” Hunter answered with a smile. He stood up. “Are you a friend of my Sage?”

  Cody intervened quickly. “Dr. Rowan, this is my date, Hunter Reed. Hunter, this is my friend, Dr. Rowan.”

  Hunter glanced at Sage. He didn’t like to just be designated as her ‘date.’

  Dr. Rowan placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder. “I see. Well, it’s good to have you here. I hope you enjoy your evening. And Sage…” She said the name slowly and with emphasis. “I hope to visit with you soon.”

  As the psychiatrist left, Cody could have sworn she sent her a disapproving look. “Oh, Lord,” she muttered.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Hunter asked.

  “Nothing.” She shook her head. “Let’s walk around. I need some air.”

  “Of course.” Gently, he pulled her against him and they began to stroll around the boat. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Cody agreed. “We’ll slowly make our way from one end of False River to the other. It will take a few hours. We can spend part of the evening alone in the stateroom.”

  “I can’t wait.” Hunter nuzzled her neck as she leaned back against him. “Can you feel how much I want you?” He pushed his cock into her backside playfully.

  “Feel how much I want you.” She took his hand and laid it to her breast. Her erect, aching nipple was poking prominently through the purple silk.

  Hunter groaned and covered both of her breasts with his palms, molding and massaging. “Feel good?”

  “God, yes.” She lifted her arms to touch his face as he rubbed and kneaded her breasts. “It would be so easy to cum like this.”

  “Do it. I think that would be as exciting as hell.” He kissed her neck, whispering in her ear. “We’re standing back here by the paddlewheel. All of that churning water will hide your sweet cries. Cum for me, Sage.”

  Cody g
ave herself over to him. “Oh, that feels so good,” she moaned as he plumped and cupped her tits, pulling at the nipples through the fabric. She wore no bra tonight and for that fact she was grateful. As he teased her breasts, he kissed her neck and her lips when she would turn her head enough for him to reach them.

  “You are so sexy,” Hunter growled as his hips flexed against her.

  “Touch me, Hunter.” She took one of his hands and slid it down her dress until he touched her mound.

  “Like this?” He cupped her mound and began to pet and massage the pad of her vagina.

  “Yes, yes!” she cried, flying apart in his embrace. He closed his mouth over hers and inhaled her whimpers and purrs.

  “That’s my girl.” Hunter held her while she trembled, quivering in his arms. “God, I love you.”

  “Would you like a drink, sir?” A waiter approaching them from the rear caught them by surprise.

  Hunter laughed. “Why yes, I think we could use one to cool off a bit.”

  They accepted a glass of wine and leaned on the railing, drinking and watching the white foam dance over the paddlewheel. “How about we get our fortune told?” Hunter asked as he drained his glass.

  Cody wasn’t keen on it, she was anxious and almost ready to blurt out the truth now rather than wait until the morning. But she ached to make him happy. “That sounds like fun. Let’s go.”

  As they wove their way through the crowd, Hunter enjoyed seeing how everyone was dressed. The masks were intriguing. Some were paper Mache, while others, like the one Sage wore, were made from more durable materials. Some had long noses, almost like Pinocchio, and others had a more harlequin appearance. “Someday you’ll have to explain the significance of the masks to me.”

  Since they might not have a someday, Cody held his arm and began to speak. “Masks have always been a part of celebrations, rituals, and ceremonies. When Mardi Gras first began, they were used to even the playing field to escape the constraints of class or society. A mask lets you be free to be anything you want to be. By law everyone who rides a float in the parade must wear a mask.”

  “By law? That’s strange.”

  “We do have some odd laws. We even have the coconut law.”

  “What’s that, does it have anything to do with the Zulu coconut you gave me?”

  “Yes.” Cody explained. “During the parade when the Zulus would toss the coconuts into the crowd, someone would invariably get him and they would try to sue the krewe or the state. So the Louisiana legislature made a law. The Zulus couldn’t toss the coconuts beyond the first layer of parade goers and if anyone accidentally got hit, they couldn’t sue.”

  Hunter listened, fascinated, as they walked down a flight of stairs, dodging a man in a cape and a Phantom of the Opera mask. “Speaking of masks, I’ve never understood why anyone would want to be something they’re not.”

  Cody sighed, feeling sadder than she could ever imagine feeling. “That’s because you’re perfect just as you are. Not everyone is so lucky.”

  Hunter didn’t get a chance to reply because ahead of them was the fortune teller. She sat in a curtained booth with cards spread out before her. “Oh, look. She’s not a palm reader.”

  “No, she reads tarot cards.” Suddenly, Cody was nervous. “Are you certain you want to do this? I mean, it’s probably a waste of time.”

  “Nonsense.” He smiled big. “This will be fun. I want the full treatment.”

  A tingle of trepidation flowed down Cody’s spine. “Okay, let’s do it.” She just hoped this woman was all show. Some of the fortune tellers in New Orleans were the real deal.

  As they approached the robed woman, she beckoned them with a hand wearing a big ring on every finger. Her face was hidden by a full mask, but Cody could see deep into her eyes and they were too wise for her liking.

  “Sit, please, allow me to peer into your future, pull the curtain from you past…and expose the truth of your present.”

  Cody might have been imagining it, but she swore the woman looked at her with damning knowledge in her eyes.

  “Honey?” Hunter offered her the chair.

  “No, you go.” Cody stepped back, pushing Hunter toward the hot seat.

  “Very well. Please.” Madame Anastasia as her sign read, gestured toward the straight back chair which sat in front of her small wrought iron table.

  Hunter grinned, he was enjoying this. “What’s next?”

  Madame Anastasia laid a deck of tarot cards in front of him. “Shuffle please, then cut the deck.” Hunter did as he was told, glancing up at Cody.

  “Thank you, now let’s see what the cards have to say.”

  Cody held her breath as Madame Anastasia laid out three cards.

  The Lovers.

  Hunter smiled. “I like that one.”

  “Yes,” the lady said, nodding. “Everyone does.” As she laid out the cards, she spoke, “The Lovers, The Chariot, and The Fool.”

  “What do they mean?” Hunter stared at the spread before him.

  “Let me begin by giving you a bit of background. This always seems to help one understand. The Tarot deck is made up of seventy-eight cards, each tells part of a greater story, the Fool’s Journey, an allegorical tale that teaches us about the challenges we face and the lessons we learn on life’s pathway. The Lovers shows a man between two women.” Cody coughed nervously. The fortune teller looked up and met her eye, then continued. “Here, the Fool comes to an intersection. He thinks he is on the right path, when all of a sudden something brings him to a sudden stop. Standing by another path is a woman. The Fool has had other relationships with those far more beautiful than this one, yet he falls in love. Every time he speaks to her, his feelings grow stronger. They have so much in common. The woman is a missing part of him. The Fool is faced with a choice, he has to alter his plan, his position.”

  “Why are there two women?” Hunter asked.

  “Love is always a two way-street, sometimes a choice. Sometimes you must choose a path, sometimes you must choose a person. This card is telling you that you have a choice in front of you. Two women or two paths stand before you and you must decide what is right for you.”

  Hunter grabbed Cody’s hand. “Well, that’s easy. There’s only one woman for me. My Sage.”

  Cody and the woman’s eyes met again.

  “The second card is The Fool.”

  “That’s not very flattering,” Hunter quipped.

  “Don’t think in the common context. The Fool card is one of new beginnings and innocence. Each day is an adventure and an opportunity for you to reach your highest potential. The Fool shows that anything is possible, it’s up to you. Don’t be afraid to step out into the unknown. This card is asking you to take a leap of faith. Again, the cards are speaking of a choice you must make, a choice of vital importance. You must follow your heart.”

  Hunter said nothing, he appeared to be deep in thought.

  “The Chariot is a card that speaks of the course we travel. We each put up masks, the outward person that we present to the world in order to fit in, to survive. You are facing a battle within yourself. You must find balance in your heart in order to make this right choice. Look within yourself, the wisdom to find the course, to chart your path lies within your heart.”

  When she’d concluded, Hunter gave her a bill and took Sage’s hand. “Wasn’t what I was expecting.” He laughed. “I thought she’d tell me I was about to win the lottery or something. Do you want to give it a go?”

  Madame Anastasia held up the cards.

  “No, I don’t believe so.” Cody stepped backward. “I’m fine, thanks.” She’d heard all she needed to hear.

  “I hope you find happiness,” the woman called out to them as they walked away. “It’s in the cards if you make the right choice.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Whew!” Hunter drew her into the shadows and took Cody in his arms. “That tarot reading was intense. I don’t see how any of it really applied to me, though.”


  Cody was afraid he would before their time was over. “She was a bit creepy.”

  “I agree.” He pulled the key ring from his pocket. “I’d like to use these keys, if that’s okay with you. One to our room and one to your heart.”

  “The door needs to be unlocked,” she murmured, leading him toward a hall that would take them to the staterooms. “My heart is open to you already.”

  “You say the sweetest things.” Hunter hurried Sage along, anxious to be alone with her.

  He had no trouble with the lock and when they entered, Cody was drawn to the window. “Look, we can see the river over the top of the boat.” The bed was king-size and took up most of the room, which was decorated in shades of blue. A private bath and a wet bar gave them everything they’d need.

  “All day, all day you’re all I could think about.” Hunter came up behind her and began unzipping her dress.

  “Me too. I couldn’t wait to be with you.” The dress dropped to the floor and Cody stepped out of it. All she wore under it was a tiny pair of panties, a garter belt, and hose. Hunter sank to his knees, his hands soothing from her ankles, up her legs, his lips tracing the indention of her spine. “Hunter!” She squealed as he nipped her on the hip.

  “I’ll never get enough of you,” Hunter said in a low gruff voice as he disrobed, throwing his clothes over the back of a chair. “Do you want me?”

  “Always,” she whispered as he pressed to her back, pushing her forward till she was resting against the hard surface of the paneling.

  “Put your hands on the wall.”

  She did so, enjoying the helpless feeling it gave her. She could feel Hunter’s body behind her, his lips on her neck and shoulders, his hands skimming her sides, coming to the front, caressing her skin, then moving over her back and down to cup the globes of her backside. “I’m at your mercy, Hunter.”

  “Have you been a good girl?” he asked as he touched one thigh and then the other, indicating for her to spread her legs farther apart.